When and why did you decide to take up HR as your career?

Is was only when I enrolled in the B. School and started pursuing Masters in Business Administration.
I chose HR because it’s a very challenging and demanding field and being someone who love challenges, it will enable me better understand people and why they behave the way they do within the organisations, welcoming options with flexibility and not seeing things only from my view but in a wider scale seeking the best out of people’s views and opinions.

As an HR Head, you are touching many human lives directly. Do you think educational institutions must encourage co-curricular interests like Music, Art, Dance or Sports and play a significant role in overall development of students?

Music and the creative arts are part of the joy of humanity; but they are too often overlooked in education, in favour of the more ‘useful’ subjects such as science and maths. 
I personally think it is equally important for overall development of students to encourage their interest in co-curricular activities as it is widely said and accepted “All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy”

What are some of the most important initiatives related to co-curricular that you have taken in the institutions you have served?

Working in a development sector have changed my perspective towards life and society.
Especially being associated with St. Jude India ChildCare Centres whose major focus is children. Our aim is to ensure that every needy child suffering from cancer has, irrespective of economic status, the best chance of surviving the disease and leading a full, healthy, happy life. St. Judes provides this chance through its well-established model of cost-free, holistic care during the period of the child’s treatment. The holistic care includes an infection-free environment conducive to the child’s recovery, educational co-curricular and recreational services for the children and their parents and counselling services throughout the duration of their treatment.
We ensure that when the child is undergoing the treatment and when they are away from their school and friends they tend to miss the development, to bridge this gap we provide the educational and recreational activities that include yoga, art, music and theatre.

In the days when most people measure success only by academic score, how do you look at co-curricular education as an important part of student’s personality?

The core aim of education is to foster all round of development of a child. All round development essentially means, intellectual, physical, moral, sensible and social development. To fulfil these objectives, there is a prime need of striking a balance between syllabus, curriculum, books and also co-curricular activities beyond that.
A Chinese proverb very aptly states, “Teach me and I will forget, show me and I might remember, involve me and I will never forget.” To a very extent, the theoretical knowledge is enhanced when a co-curricular activity related to the content taught, is organized.
Intellectual development of the personality is achieved to a great extent in classroom itself. But, the aesthetic development like character building, spiritual and moral values, physical growth, creativity and many more are backed up by co-curricular activities only. It also professes coordination, adjustment and speech fluency, extempore and debating skills amongst students. It teaches the students to stand up for their rights. 
At St. Judes along with providing a hygienic, protective, nurturing environment which gives the children the best chance of beating cancer, our equal focus is also on the development of child through co-curricular activities. We encourage our children in yoga, art, music and theatre and aim to create hope and joy in the lives of our children and their families to ensure that the children complete their medical treatment in the best possible way.

If you were to suggest one major change in perspective of co-curricular education, what would that be?

Co-curricular activities are vital because even though they are not a part of the core curriculum, they play a very crucial role in giving the young girls and boys the ability to mould their lives to become well rounded people. The school activities have to be designed purposefully to give an apt mix of students’ participation in academics and also create a chance for all round development.

Please let us know about some key achievements of your institution and/or your student(s) in MADS?

Every year St. Judes participate in HOPE (the cultural program of TATA Hospital)
Our children and their families participate in the cultural activities like dance and drama and year on year the children of St. Judes have been recognised by TATA Hospital for their involvement and creativity.
We also have ABT (Art Based Therapy) for children.

What are your personal interests in Music, Art, Dance or Sports and how do you continue to pursue them?

I have great interest in Music and Art and enjoy it in my free time.

Any other thoughts you may want to share.

I feel proud to be associated with St. Judes who facilitates and understands the importance of co-curricular activities along with the academics for the overall development of the child.